Posts from Play as Inferno.

1. I'm not easily offended.
2. I'm not very good with computers.
3. Demons are difficult in the mid-game, that's true, but they're great in the late game.
4. You can play online, and it's probably not that difficult to get set up.
How do you arrange things here?

Grok develops quickly and handles neutral creatures very well.

You need to focus on building up your army (which is doubled with fast gating) and not waste slots on magic.

By the way, Grok starts with strong Chaos magic, which you won't be able to get rid of in the late game without a mentor.

No, Grok (not to be confused with Grol, the dog handler, who indeed has Chaos affinity) starts with logistics and a cheap "Teleport" (only 4 mana instead of the usual eight).

Demons have an 8% chance of gaining defense (meaning it will appear almost every game).
As mentioned above, Grok specializes in logistics and teleportation, which is very, very helpful when breaking through archers, especially if there are no siege weapons (but there will still be losses at the beginning).

Roty, I have a question for you (it's more of a rhetorical question, since I often play as Demons and doubt that there is anything universally effective in this regard).
How do you take Dragon Utopia? (Ideally, with minimal losses, because it's impossible for Inferno to do it without any losses at all.) I'm not talking about a hero of level 30+ with tons of troops, but about an average hero – level 18-20, with about 4-5 weeks of development. For me, this is a complete disappointment, especially when you know how other races have fun with this. If you don't have Dark Magic, things can be very, very bad (especially if you get level 3 difficulty in the Utopia, because the number of dragons and the reward vary there).
I won't even mention Phoenixes (for example, on the "Grab and Run" map or the "Contested Island"), it's even worse there.

Without Dark Magic, it will be quite difficult in the late game, seriously. I've already tried it.
With average development, at levels 17-20, you can manage without it. But at level 27 and higher, it becomes difficult (because the enemy has a lot of troops) and there are units that are especially dangerous. Of course, resistances play a role, I don't deny it. But what if you get the Staff of Sar-Izzy?
It's a matter of luck.

I also usually take Defense for the Demons (it helps a lot).
Let's play together sometime, discuss some points, and maybe we can learn some new tactics from each other.

1. Maybe we'll play sometime. If you're from Minsk, it's really easy to arrange. 2. I don't understand how you guys reach level 30... For me, level 20 is already a powerful demon. I can defeat almost everyone, except Wing. Demons are almost double the army size! Double! You need mass spells; the army will do the rest. The first three turns of the hero are crucial. The first two turns should be spent on mass spells: Stone Skin and Haste. Everything except the undead will be charmed by the succubus. Given this, what's the point of Darkness, please tell me? You need defense, attack, and initiative – i.e., Defense, Attack, Luck, and Logistics for fast gating. That leaves one slot. If the game goes to 30, then we take Darkness for the secondary skill. If it's less, and Leadership is available, I take Leadership and forget about Darkness. 3. About Utopia. Forget about Utopia for the sake of just two artifacts. In the late game, you can often buy what you need from the merchant. If needed, you need defense, and on the battlefield, I only deploy devils and imps. Maybe two level 2 units as well. Keep in mind that I have high defense, luck, and often attack, and I usually already have some artifacts that boost these stats. In general, in the late game, I move around with a hero who has one empty slot for a unit, waiting for reinforcements, and then I send that joined unit into Utopia first. Otherwise, I don't really go in there...

That's all great, of course, but here's a situation (I recently experienced it), and it was very frustrating because we were playing against a very unreasonable person in a competitive match. Basically, the map was one of the standard ones – "Ascension to Power" (veteran difficulty). It turned out that I had Elven Archers guarding my mines (Druids were protecting the gold), and there was a small artifact with one group of human archers (the hero was Nibros). In general, I fell behind in development. Even if there had been a Grog there, it still would have been a bad situation.
What do you do in such a case? (without using war machines)

Against various shooters and various mages (referring to neutral sorcerers):
- on week 1, only gating ones, but it's better not to mess with mages at all :D;
- on weeks 2-3 - gating+BDP+raise dead+machines with a first aid kit, and you can use seductresses (though it's not certain they will go in first);
- on week 4, everything mentioned above in various combinations+darkness.
Regarding the Dragon Utopia: BDP+raise dead+darkness, machines are basically no longer relevant...
And probably there is no need to remind you that in any case you need a mark in different variations (depending on the number of days passed since the start of the game and level-ups) with double damage or weakness.
As an additional advantage for dispelling, we level up keen mind.

Demons are almost a doubled army! Doubled! Mass spells are needed, the army will do everything.
The hero's first three moves decide everything. The hero's first two moves are Mass Stone Skin and Haste. Everyone except necros obeys succubi. WHY on earth is darkness needed in such a layout, please tell me?

And how are you going to replenish losses? Does it turn out that while you are casting mass buffs, the neutrals are just snacking? No, they'll be snacking on yours...

3. About utopia
To hell with utopia for the sake of 2 artifacts. In the late game, you can often buy what you need from the merchant.

Well, you are greatly mistaken here... Firstly, where do you get so much gold to buy the necessary artifacts depending on the opponent's faction? Secondly, there aren't 48 items put up for sale in the guild, only 6. Thirdly, it is far from certain that the artifacts you specifically need will be there. Fourthly, besides artifacts, the Dragon Utopia gives you experience, gold, and spells (though not always the necessary ones).

Well if needed - protection is required and I only put devils and spawn on the field. Level 2s are also possible.
Keep in mind that my defense, luck, and often attack are leveled up, and as a rule, I already have some artifacts for all this
But generally, in the late game, I move with a hero who has one empty slot for a squad, waiting for joins, and then I throw this joined squad forward into utopia. Otherwise, I don't really go in...

Spawn or lords depending on which neutrals you are against. Spawn for resist and against creatures with low health, lords against large creatures (though as a rule, lords aren't used very often). And you should move with cockroaches so they provide the necessary units for each individual battle with neutrals...

Ascension to Power is a very good map for Demons.

Important: don't build Imp and Demon upgrades for the first 2 weeks – we'll need that money to build the Capitol earlier!

First week – get to the Dog Mine.
There's a medium-strength unit in the way. Don't be stingy with your Imps and Demons – let almost all of them die; they won't be needed in the second week, and these losses won't matter by the endgame.

+ Dogs in the castle (half growth).
We get 4+8 = 12 dogs in the first week.
By the second week, we have +50% growth in the castle, so we get 12 born in the castle + 8 from outside.
Total: 32 dogs. Upgrade them.

Task: when approaching the mine, have Boots of Speed +1 or Tactics (hero level around 7, the chances are good).
Then the dogs will reach it.
If not, well, we'll lose half the dogs, but what can we do? At least these are practically the last major losses before the endgame.
After that, you need to play carefully.

If the unit in the gold mine isn't scary, you can skip waiting for the second batch from the outer dwelling and go with 24 dogs (!).

At the beginning of the 3rd week, you can already clear the path to the neighboring territory (with a castle), having only upgraded dogs and, again, upgraded Demons (thankfully, the growth rate allows it) + I take 1-2 Broods to reduce the defense of neutrals.

Added 5 minutes ago
KillAndAction
1. In Ascension to Power, by the time you reach Utopia, that experience and money don't matter much.
And if you need to buy a Ring of Initiative +20% (20,000) or an Amulet of Expertise (15,000) there, we'll find the money in weeks 6-7.

2. Regarding mass buffs – I'm talking about the endgame. They don't help much against neutrals, that's true. But Grok deals with them very well. Very.

3. Yes, Lords are good if you're going for Utopia.

P.S.: There are no good heroes for Demons besides Grok, and Delebs for rushing, of course. If you're playing with a free start, Nimue might work, but no one plays with a free start.

There are no heroes for the Dungeon faction besides Grok, and of course, Deleb for rushing.

It seems a bit one-sided. What about Marbas, Nimue? A good player should be able to make the most of any hero. What if the heroes are chosen randomly and you don't get your favorite Grok? Also, upload a replay as proof so we can see what your tactics are like.

I just play with friends, who are quite experienced. We don't play on random maps, as that can lead to a significant difference in starting conditions. It might be a bit one-sided, but what can you do? Other heroes just can't handle it.... I'll upload it somehow.

The first tactic is certainly not bad, but here, luck plays a role (whether raising the dead will work, whether defense will trigger, whether evasion and bonus damage will be granted).
If everything aligns, it will be great (considering the situation without war machines).
However, gating units and having one strong unit is debatable; by the time they appear, the enemy will have already managed to inflict significant damage on your troops.
Ask yourself, do you actually use this tactic often in practice? ;)
You need to seize Utopia, as mentioned above – gold/artifacts/spells/experience – this is where Darkness really helps. You need to pay attention to troop placement (some dragons can reach their target in one turn). By the way, Keen Intellect is a truly excellent skill here. =)
There will still be losses, the question is how significant they will be. For now, I don't see a universal solution. It's better not to venture in without Darkness; protect small creatures (like imps/dogs). If dragons target imps, it's guaranteed to be frustrating.

Well, basically, it's hard to come up with anything truly good; everything depends on that "if."

The second tactic, with losses, is interesting. =D It's somewhat masochistic, but in theory, it sounds quite good; I'll try it today.
Although, I hate losses. I even cling to a single Imp; I don't know how it will be with dogs – will it cause an immediate heart attack or later.
And what is your priority at the beginning of the game (luck/defense/attack, or Darkness in general?) I try to take luck first, because lucky attacks from Gaters often help a lot. And in general, I think that luck suits demons even more than it suits dwarves (Wide Gate of Hell is a wonderful thing), and dwarves can even manage without a soldier

I mostly play as Demons in these games. I think I'm quite experienced.
1. We're talking about the late game, especially in "Armageddon's Blade" when no one will come to your aid.
The speed of development is important. For example, sacrificing the growth in the first and second weeks to capture a gold mine in the middle of the second week, and then moving to another territory at the beginning of the third week, being able to defeat almost all neutral creatures.

2. Well, it depends on what you get...
If there are no +1 speed boots nearby or available initially, I try to take attack and tactics – then the upgraded dogs can reach the end of the map. And the jumping demons jump.
Luck is also good, as well as defense with +2 HP and mass stone skin.
It's important not to delay getting a fast gating strategy. It's not very useful against neutral creatures, but it's essential in the final stages.
I definitely don't take Tenebrae in the first 13 levels... Often, I don't take it at all.

3. I repeat, the key to fighting neutral creatures is Grok's teleport, upgraded dogs and demons, and tactics. When you have upgraded dogs, I only place single Imps on the field as needed.

With 70-80 jumping demons and 50 dogs, I can move to the second territory in the third week and defeat 70% of the enemy units.

I'm getting something similar =) I build a level 1 guild and only start expanding further around week 3-4 (so there's not much point in taking Darkness early).
Dogs are good, but how do you break through 8-10 human knights on week 3 (let's take a simple situation)? He reaches anywhere on the second turn, hits hard, and you can't kill them in the first turn, unless you don't lose any dogs or demons, and 50 lucky dogs might kill 4-5 knights, and the jumpers will finish the job (though I have serious doubts that the demons will move first =) today it turned out that after...

but overall, it's quite good (though out of 3 attempts, the Druids/Archmages weren't standing on gold).
It's a pity about the dogs that die under archers; in this case, I still save them and, as before, use a few random level 1 creatures and demons. (I don't go near the Forest faction at all =); they seem unfriendly.
And 3 stacks of casters/archers against just dogs is terrible, and the demons, with their low initiative, often move last. That's how it is.
But in any case, this kind of strategy is better than chaotic running around and huge losses of dozens of demons.

If you play with your attacking strategy, you can also go to another castle's territory and take some horses with you (though it's problematic to build them because dogs/scouts take up the sulfur, and you can't immediately capture a mine).

By the way, in the first week, what do you build - scouts or a magistrate? (2000 gold)

1 week – Stronghold! (bonus +50%), extra dogs and jumpers are needed, but not succubi. Magistrate the next day. Next. How about against Knights and others? 1 turn – the Knights move and don’t reach, and by their second turn, there is already a barrier of level 1 creatures and summoned creatures. Ascension – an easy map, because by the time of such a battle, a good level-up has already taken place. It seems you are not yet used to playing with Grok and dogs. For example, if the Knights or others do not attack at a range of 2 cells, then: - place only dogs on the field. - you need to designate a summoning location in any corner, 2 squares vertically and 2 horizontally, and after the attack, teleport the dogs immediately behind this barrier to the very corner cell. Added 7 minutes later. Next, in the 3rd week, I fight only with dogs and jumpers + 1-2 imps with a destructive beam. And then I take... devils! Yes, no horses, no succubi – but thick-skinned devils that the neutrals don't have enough teeth to bite

2Roty:
1) The point of building a Stronghold in the first week is unclear. We'll spend 5000. This gives us 4 dogs and 8 extra demons. What do they accomplish? Wouldn't it be easier to build Pit Fiends or at least some horses? Buy a tent, and you don't actually need any dogs.
2) Maybe it's still worth taking magic? Depending on what's in the guild—Dispersion or Vampirism—take Darkness, and then no neutrals or upgraders will be a threat. If there's Fire Bolt, take Chaos plus Lord of Fire, and maybe even Firestorm—the finale won't seem easy for your opponent.
3) Overall, it seems doubtful that you can just wipe everyone out with a single Stone Skin and Haste. +9 defense and +30% initiative aren't that impressive; other factions that have Expert Light and similar spells cast them more effectively. And there are plenty of other racers good at clearing territory besides Grok—I don't think he's the best.